VERMONT-(USA)

State of Vermont
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Green Mountain State
Motto(s): Freedom and Unity
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Vermonter
Capital	Montpelier
Largest city	Burlington
Area	Ranked 45th in the U.S.
- Total	9,620 sq mi (24,923 km2)
- Width	80 miles (130 km)
- Length	160 miles (260 km)
- % water	4.1
- Latitude	42° 44′ N to 45° 1′ N
- Longitude	71° 28′ W to 73° 26′ W
Population	Ranked 49th in the U.S.
- Total	(2010) 625,741
- Density	65.8/sq mi (25.9/km2) Ranked 30th in the U.S.
- Median income	$52,104 (20th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mt. Mansfield[1] 4,395 ft (1,340 m)
- Mean	1,000 ft (300 m)
- Lowest point	95 ft (29 m)
Before statehood	Vermont Republic
Admission to Union	March 4, 1791 (14th)
Governor	Peter Shumlin (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Phillip Scott (R)
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Patrick Leahy (D) Bernie Sanders (I)
U.S. House delegation	Peter Welch (D) (list)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC–5/−4
Abbreviations	US-VT
Website	vermont.gov

Much of the business of local government in Vermont towns takes place each March at a town meeting held at a meetinghouse, such as this one in Marlboro, Vermont.

Vermont (ⁱ /vərˈmɒnt/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, 9,250 square miles (24,000 km²) and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337^[2], is the smallest in the northeastern states, and is second smallest in the country after Wyoming. It is the only New England state not bordering the Atlantic Ocean, and the only landlocked state in the northeast. Lake Champlain forms half of Vermont's western border, which it shares with the state of New York. The Green Mountains are within the state. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Québec to the north.
Originally inhabited by two major Native American tribes (the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and the Iroquois), much of the territory that is now Vermont was claimed by France in the early colonial period. France ceded the territory to the Kingdom of Great Britain after being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years' War (also called the French and Indian War). For many years, the nearby colonies, especially New Hampshire and New York, disputed control of the area (then called the New Hampshire Grants). Settlers who held land titles granted by these colonies were opposed by the Green Mountain Boys militia, which eventually prevailed in creating an independent state, the Vermont Republic. Founded in 1776, during the Revolutionary War, it lasted for fourteen years. While independent, it abolished slavery. When it joined the Union, it was the first state to have abolished slavery. Vermont is one of seventeen U.S. states (along with Texas, Hawaii, the brief California Republic, and each of the original Thirteen Colonies) that each once had a sovereign government. In 1791, Vermont joined the United States as the fourteenth state and the first outside the original Thirteen Colonies.
Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States.^[3] The state capital is Montpelier, and the most populous city and metropolitan area is Burlington. No other state's most populous city is less populous than Burlington (42,417),^[4], nor its capital city as few as Montpelier (7,705).^[5]

Contents [hide] 1 Geography 1.1 Cities 1.2 Largest towns 1.3 Climate 1.4 Geology 1.5 Natural history 2 History 2.1 Pre-Columbian 2.2 Colonial 2.3 Independence and statehood 2.4 Revolutionary War 2.5 Statehood and the antebellum era 2.6 The Civil War 2.7 Postbellum era and beyond 3 Demographics 3.1 Population 3.2 Race and gender 3.3 Ethnicity and language 3.4 Religion 4 Economy 4.1 Personal income 4.2 Agriculture 4.3 Manufacturing 4.4 Health 4.5 Housing 4.6 Labor 4.7 Insurance 4.8 Tourism 4.9 Quarrying 4.10 Non-profits and volunteerism 5 Transportation 5.1 Major routes 5.1.1 North–south routes 5.1.2 East–west routes 5.2 Rail 5.3 Local community public and private transportation 5.4 Airports 6 Media 6.1 Newspapers of record 6.2 Broadcast media 7 Utilities 7.1 Electricity 7.2 Communication 8 Law and government 8.1 Finances 8.1.1 Taxes 8.1.2 Property taxes 8.2 Politics 8.2.1 National politics 8.2.2 State politics 9 Public health 10 Education 10.1 Higher education 11 Sports 12 Cultural pursuits 13 State symbols 14 Notable Vermonters 14.1 Notable fictional Vermonters 15 See also 16 References 17 Bibliography 18 External links 19 Related information

[edit] Geography

See also: List of counties in Vermont, List of towns in Vermont, and List of mountains in Vermont

Vermont is located in the New England region in the eastern United States and comprises 9,614 square miles (24,900 km²), making it the 45th-largest state. Land comprises 9,250 square miles (24,000 km²) and water comprises 365 square miles (950 km²), making it the 43rd-largest in land area and the 47th in water area. In total area, it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti.

Map of Vermont, showing cities, roads, and rivers

The west bank of the Connecticut River marks the eastern (New Hampshire) border of the state (the river is part of New Hampshire).^[6] Lake Champlain, the major lake in Vermont, is the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States and separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. From north to south, Vermont is 159 miles (256 km) long. Its greatest width, from east to west, is 89 miles (143 km) at the Canadian border; the narrowest width is 37 miles (60 km) at the Massachusetts line. The state's geographic center is Washington, three miles (5 km) east of Roxbury. There are fifteen US federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada.
The origin of the name Vermont (French: vert mont) is uncertain. Thomas Young introduced it in 1777.^[7] Some authorities say that the mountains were called green because they were more forested than the higher White Mountains of New Hampshire and Adirondacks of New York; others say that the predominance of mica-quartz-chlorite schist, a green-hued metamorphosed shale, is the reason. The Green Mountain range forms a north–south spine running most of the length of the state, slightly west of its center. In the southwest portion of the state are the Taconic Mountains; the Granitic Mountains are in the northeast.^[8] In the northwest, near Lake Champlain, is the fertile Champlain Valley. In the south of the valley is Lake Bomoseen.

Vermont has 14 counties. Only two—Lamoille and Washington—are entirely surrounded by Vermont territory.

Several mountains have timberlines with delicate year-round alpine ecosystems, including Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state; Killington Peak, the second-highest; Camel's Hump, the state's third-highest; and Mount Abraham, the fifth-highest peak. About 77 percent of the state is covered by forest; the rest is covered in meadow, uplands, lakes, ponds, and swampy wetlands.
Areas in Vermont administered by the National Park Service include the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (in Woodstock) and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.^[9]

[edit] Cities

Burlington, Vermont's largest city

Rutland

Montpelier, Vermont's capital city

Cities (2010 census population):

Largest cities, 2010 Census

City	Population
Burlington	42,417
South Burlington	17,904
Rutland	16,495
Barre	9,052
Montpelier	7,855
Winooski	7,267
St. Albans	6,918

[edit] Largest towns

Although these towns are large enough to be considered cities, they are not incorporated as such.
Largest towns (2010 census population):

Largest towns, 2010 Census

City	Population
Essex	19,587
Colchester	17,067
Bennington	15,764
Brattleboro	12,046
Milton	10,352
Hartford	9,952
Springfield	9,373
Williston	8,698
Middlebury	8,496
Barre	7,924
St. Johnsbury	7,603
Shelburne	7,144
Swanton	6,427
St. Albans	6,392